Everyone enjoys watching cute baby animals frolic. But for many kids, such games are a process of growing up, nurturing and learning. By training their skills in this way, the crumbs are preparing to lead an independent adult life. In addition to such independent development, many cubs learn thanks to the sensitive care of their parents. But some representatives of the animal world are special examples of caring for the offspring that has appeared.
Polar bear moms
She-bears living in the Far North, even before the appearance of babies, begin to take care of their well-being. They prepare a lair in advance and intensively gain weight in order to provide food for the cub throughout the polar night. After the birth, the babies are completely helpless, so they need sensitive care of the mother. For eight months, she feeds her offspring. With the advent of spring, the she-bear continues to take care of the babies, taking them out fishing, teaching them to catch fast prey in the water. But maternal feelings do not go away on this. For several more years, the cubs follow their mother, who protects them from danger and teaches them to adapt to life in harsh climes.
Elephant Moms
Elephants have 22 months of gestation. After giving birth, the cub of the animal is not deprived of maternal affection, which manifests itself to him around the clock. Such attention is important because the baby elephant is born completely blind. The mother can feed her child until the next offspring, despite the fact that he is accustomed to solid food from the age of six months. It is also interesting that in addition to the mother, other members of the herd take care of the baby, as if they were their own. Other "nannies" are also ready to protect babies from predators, like their own mother.
Cat petting
Among the most caring mothers are representatives of cats. This includes not only ordinary cats, but also dangerous wild animals: tigers, cougars, lynxes and many others. A baby animal from this family owes its survival only to its mother, since fathers very rarely participate in education. The cat takes care of the babies from their very birth. She feeds, licks and practically does not leave the kittens in the first days of their life. Over time, their mother teaches them to hunt by bringing them half-dead prey to develop their skills. In addition, the cat is ready to protect its offspring from dangerous animals, attacking an aggressive object, or it can transfer the children by the scruff of the neck to a more peaceful place. In this family, baby animals (wild and domestic) are truly lucky because their mothers are ready to sacrifice themselves for them.
In catsmaternal instincts are so developed that they are ready to raise even other people's children. There were cases when a mother cat took squirrels, chickens and other crumbs left orphans. The photos of pets with cubs in this article show how mothers "adopted" other people's babies. Sometimes the kittens are so lucky as well.
Alligators and their babies
Oddly enough, these reptiles are also exemplary parents. Even before laying eggs, the female is reverently approaching the choice of the place of "incubation". Interestingly, the young of this animal acquire sex depending on the temperature of the place where the eggs lie. That is why a caring mother makes two different clutches. She covers one of them with cool moss, and hides the second in decaying leaves so that the temperature is higher and males appear. In addition, the entire period of incubation, the mother guards her clutches so that all the babies remain unharmed. Having waited for the appearance of the children, she transports everyone in her mouth to the water, where she protects the offspring for about a year.
Wolf families
Wolves both parents are involved in raising offspring. This is a good example of how animals take care of the cubs in a pair and teach them all the tricks of life. After the appearance of wolf cubs, the female feeds them with milk for about two months. Further, not only the mother, but also the father begins to take care of the food for the puppies, giving them semi-digested food. When the kids are a little older, parents bring live prey in their teeth, teaching them to kill.sacrifice. Having acquired such skills, wolf cubs begin to go hunting together with adults. Puppies begin independent life in a year.
Primates and their babies
Almost all primates do not leave their babies after birth. But between the representatives of the detachment there may also be differences in the methods of education. So, most macaques are not examples of affectionate parental behavior: they can bite and scratch their babies. Also, if these mothers are unhappy with something, they can grab their crumbs by the wool. Growing up, macaques also behave with their offspring, but if the baby was not offended by the parents in childhood, he will not hurt his brood either.
Chimpanzee families are different. They care so much about their child that they are ready to die for him. Thanks to the love of the mother, the baby of the animal gains confidence and in time can take a good position in the monkey family. The mother always tries to keep the baby close and communicates with him through sounds, gestures and facial expressions.
Evil Moms
But not all animals so reverently protect their droppings. Some mothers leave their babies as soon as they are born. Basically, this is practiced by those animals that are prepared for independent life from birth. For example, newborn seals have sufficient fat reserves and do not starve to death even though their mothers leave them.
Also, a baby animal may be left without guardianship after somethat time. At the same time, the female weans the baby from herself gradually. Each time, the mother can go farther and farther from the crumbs, returning to him takes more and more time, and one day she simply does not come.
The fact is that the more often an animal brings offspring, the more careless it is with its crumbs. The proof are small rodents, which are very prolific. The role of a mother is not to educate, but to feed. Quite often after twenty days the children leave their native nest. For example, hares grow very fast. A few weeks after birth, hares can begin to lead an independent life.
Facts about baby animals and their parents
There are many animals on earth, and each species has its own attitude towards its offspring. Here are some examples of motherhood in the animal world.
- Each pigeon has its own character and therefore each family is different from the others. There are males who, like the mother, will feed and take care of their chicks, while others, on the contrary, are able to peck their own offspring.
- At kangaroos, even mothers are negligent. If the baby does not hold on tightly to the nurse and does not stick to the nipple while jumping, he may fall out of the bag, and the mother will not even notice.
- Foxes are caring not only for the female. The father helps the mother feed the foxes, which can be up to 13.
- Herons are not an example of motherly love. Seeing a kite, they will not even try to save their chick. In addition, they can destroy the nest of their neighbor with her chicks.
- Squirrel takes care oftheir newborn squirrels. She wraps naked babies in moss so that they do not freeze while she is away from the nest.
